Acura planning next-generation RL

Acura had nothing special to show at this year’s LA Auto Show, but Automotive News was able to get some info out of Acura executives present at the show. Company insiders have given word to Acura dealerships that the slow-selling RL will get a makeover next summer. While dealers were not given many details on the changes, they expect them to be dramatic.

“I hear it will be a major facelift in the front and back “” new sheet metal,” says Jim Smail, an Acura dealer in Pittsburgh.

Dealers are hoping that the next RL will get a V8 or a V10 engine with more aggressive styling and more legroom in the rear-seat.

Sales through October have been down 47.5 percent from the same period last year. The redesigned Acura RL was introduced October 2004 and has sold poorly since.

According to Dan Bonawitz, vice president of corporate planning and logistics for American Honda Motor Co., a mid-term model change is due next year.

“The three big complaints of the car are interior space, trunk space, and for some, style,” Bonawitz told Automotive News during an interview at the Los Angeles auto show. “You can do some things to create some more interior space. So that’s within the realm of possibility.”

 

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

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